Hallie landed hard on the edge of the wide balcony. The cold night wind whipped around her.

She reached out to push the heavy sliding glass door. Her hand went straight through the thick glass. She stumbled forward into the dark living room.

The main lights were off. A few warm wall lamps glowed.

A heavy, expensive perfume hung in the air. It was sweet and sickening. It was not her scent.

Hallie heard a soft crying sound coming from the master bedroom. Her invisible heart hammered against her ribs.

She walked down the hall. She stepped right through the solid mahogany door.

The sight inside made her stomach drop.

Aidan's custom suit jacket was thrown on the floor. He sat on the edge of their large bed.

He held a small, shaking woman tightly against his chest.

It was Cecile. Her sister.

Cecile was wearing Hallie's favorite burgundy silk pajamas. The fabric slipped off her pale shoulder.

Cecile buried her face in Aidan's shirt. She sobbed loudly. Her hands gripped his waist.

Aidan rubbed his large hand up and down Cecile's back. His touch was slow and gentle. Hallie had never felt that touch.

"Do not be afraid," Aidan said. His voice was low and soft. "I promise that crazy woman will never bother you again."

Cecile lifted her head. Her eyes were red and wet. She bit her lower lip.

"She loves you so much," Cecile whispered. "That is why she faked that car crash. She just wanted to scare us."

Hallie's hands curled into fists. Her nails dug into her palms, but she felt nothing. Cecile was lying.

Aidan let out a harsh breath. "She does not know what love is. She only loves the Monroe title and the blank checks."

He reached up and wiped a tear from Cecile's cheek. "I am sick of her hysteria. I will have the lawyers enforce the divorce tomorrow."

Cecile rested her cheek against his palm. She looked like a frightened child.

But as Aidan looked away, the corner of Cecile's mouth twitched. A small, sharp smirk appeared on her lips.

It was a look of pure victory.

The truth hit Hallie like a physical punch to the throat. Cecile was not a victim. Cecile was the predator.

Hallie screamed. She lunged forward. She grabbed the collar of the burgundy pajamas and pulled.

Her hands passed through the silk. She grabbed at Cecile's hair. Her fingers caught nothing but empty air.

Cecile suddenly shivered. She pressed closer to Aidan.

"Aidan, it feels cold in here," Cecile whispered.

Aidan wrapped his arms completely around her. He glared at the empty space near the window.

"It is just the bad energy she left behind in this place," Aidan said coldly.

Hallie stopped moving. Her arms dropped to her sides. She stared at the man she had loved for three years.

She remembered burning her hand making him soup, and him walking right past her. Now, Cecile shed fake tears, and he treated her like glass.

Aidan rubbed his temples. He looked down at Cecile.

"Go change your clothes," Aidan said. "We are not staying in this disgusting place tonight."

Cecile nodded quickly. She leaned up and kissed his jaw.

Hallie watched the kiss. The last warm feeling she had for Aidan turned to ash.

Cecile walked out of the closet wearing an expensive cashmere coat.

Aidan stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her waist. He lifted her off the floor and carried her in his arms.

Cecile let out a small gasp. She hid her face in his neck. Aidan kicked the bedroom door open and walked down the hall.

Hallie stood by the bed. A tight, invisible chain wrapped around her neck.

As Aidan walked further away, the chain pulled tight. It dragged Hallie forward. She floated behind them, unable to stop.

They took the private elevator down to the underground garage. A black Rolls-Royce Phantom was waiting. The driver opened the heavy door.

Aidan placed Cecile gently into the back seat. He climbed in next to her.

Hallie was pulled right through the metal roof. She sat on the empty seat facing them.

The car was completely quiet. Cecile leaned her head on Aidan's shoulder. Aidan took her cold hand and placed it on his thigh to warm it.

He kissed the top of her blonde hair. "I will give you the biggest future," he whispered. "No one will stand in your way."

Cecile squeezed his hand. Her eyes filled with fake tears.

The car drove out of Manhattan. It headed east toward the Hamptons.

An hour later, the massive iron gates of the Monroe Estate opened. The car drove up the long, winding driveway.

The car stopped. The head butler and a row of maids stood on the stone steps. They held large black umbrellas in the rain.

Aidan stepped out. He reached back and helped Cecile out of the car.

The butler bowed his head. He handed Cecile a warm towel. "Welcome home, Miss Cecile."

The maids bowed their heads, their faces impassive, but Hallie could see the subtle shift in their posture as they attended to Cecile-a swiftness and deference they had never shown her. They knew who the real power was.

Hallie floated above the wet grass. She remembered her first day here. The butler had handed her a list of rules and walked away. The maids had whispered about her cheap shoes. Aidan had stood by the door and watched.

Aidan held Cecile's hand and walked up the marble steps. He asked her if she was hungry. His voice was full of patience.

Cecile shook her head. "I just want to rest."

Aidan told the butler to prepare hot tea. He led Cecile up the grand staircase.

They walked down the second-floor hallway. They stopped at the large double doors on the east wing.

Hallie knew this room. It had the best sunlight. She had begged Aidan to let her use it as an art studio. He had told her she did not deserve it.

Aidan pushed the doors open. The suite was filled with fresh white roses and expensive oil paintings. It was decorated exactly to Cecile's taste.

Cecile smiled. She threw her arms around Aidan's neck. "This is my only safe place."

Aidan hugged her back. "It is yours forever."

Hallie stood in the doorway. A sick feeling twisted in her stomach. She hated herself for ever begging this man for anything.

Aidan touched Cecile's cheek. "I need to go to the study. I have to speak with my father."

Cecile nodded. She watched him walk away.

The second the door clicked shut, the soft look on Cecile's face vanished. Her eyes turned hard and calculating. She walked to the mirror and fixed her hair.

Hallie did not stay to watch. The invisible chain pulled her backward. She floated down the hall, following Aidan's footsteps.

Aidan walked down the long hallway. His leather shoes made no sound on the thick Persian carpet.

Hallie floated right behind him. The oil paintings of the past Monroe leaders stared down from the walls.

Aidan stopped at the heavy oak doors at the end of the hall. He knocked twice.

"Come in," a deep voice called out.

Aidan opened the door. The smell of Cuban cigars and expensive scotch hit the air.

Governor Monroe sat behind a massive wooden desk. He held a crystal glass in his hand.

Jacquelin Monroe, Aidan's mother, sat on the leather sofa. She wore a perfect silk dress. She was flipping through a fashion magazine.

Aidan walked in and shut the door. Hallie passed through the wood and floated near the ceiling.

Jacquelin closed the magazine. She looked at Aidan with sharp eyes. "Is Cecile calm now?"

Aidan walked to the bar. He poured himself a drink. "She is resting. She was very scared."

Jacquelin let out a harsh scoff. "Hallie is a gutter rat. She only knows how to use cheap tricks to get attention."

Hallie heard the words. Her chest felt tight, but the pain was quickly replaced by a cold numbness.

The Governor put his glass down. He looked at Aidan. "What is the status of the prenup enforcement?"

Aidan took a sip of scotch. "The legal team has the papers ready. When she shows her face, I will force her to sign."

The Governor hit the desk with his knuckles. "I do not just want her signature. I want her stripped of everything. Not one share of Monroe Group goes to that outsider."

Jacquelin stood up. She walked to Aidan and touched his arm. "You need to understand, Aidan. Cecile is the only woman fit for this family."

Hallie stared down at them. Her eyes widened. She thought they just hated her because she was poor. She did not know they had chosen Cecile from the start.

"Cecile has class," Jacquelin continued. "She knows how to protect the family name. Hallie is an embarrassment."

Aidan rubbed his jaw. "I know. But Hallie is hiding right now. It delays the process."

"Then freeze her bank accounts," the Governor ordered. "Cancel all her credit cards. Cut off her air supply. She will crawl back begging."

Hallie listened to the three most powerful people in New York plan to destroy her. It felt completely unreal.

Jacquelin twisted the large ruby ring on her finger. "Cecile's debut art show in Paris is next month. It is her entry into high society."

"We must erase Hallie before then," Jacquelin said. "I will not let the media call Cecile a homewrecker."

Aidan nodded. "I will use the PR team to bury Hallie. Cecile will be protected."

A hot, violent rage exploded inside Hallie. Her three years of pain meant nothing. They were going to step on her dead body to lift Cecile up.

The energy in the room spiked. The air grew freezing cold.

A loud crack echoed in the corner of the room. A large, antique blue-and-white vase split right down the middle.

All three of them turned their heads.

The Governor stared at the fractured porcelain, his eyes narrowing. "Have the house checked for structural vibrations," he commanded, his voice low. "And get this cleaned up. I don't want to see it again."

Aidan put his glass down. He checked his watch. "I am going to check on Cecile."

He walked out of the study. Hallie followed him. The sadness was gone. Only pure hatred remained.